School safety draft report completed

The Arkansas School Safety Commission on Friday completed drafting recommendations for a report to the governor on ways to prevent school-related violence, as well as defend against it and recover if it happens.

“This is going to be a report that’s going to have a big impact,” commission Chairman Cheryl May, director of the University of Arkansas’ Criminal Justice Institute, said of the document due to Gov. Asa Hutchinson by Nov. 30. “This is something that can really, really help make a difference.’

The final report, which builds on a preliminary report sent to Hutchinson in July, will include provisions and supporting information on mental health programs, employment of law enforcement and security officers, emergency planning, communication systems and school building security.

The commission’s recommendations are the result of myriad presentations from experts and others interested in school safety, a survey of district superintendents and visits to a dozen schools in all parts of the state.

Hutchinson established the 18-member commission of educators, law enforcement agents and mental-health professionals in March to make recommendations on improving school security. He did that in the aftermath of the Feb. 14 shooting deaths of 17

students and employees by an intruder at a Parkland, Fla., high school.

School building and and school bus security measures — and potential revenue sources for them — were a focus at Friday’s daylong commission meeting.

The commission voted unanimously to recommend:

Revising the state’s Academic Facilities Partnership Program to enable school districts to apply and receive state money to help pay for safety features — such as enclosed walkways between buildings, ballistic-rated glass and video surveillance equipment — not currently eligible for state money.

Developing on the state level for school district use a customized school bus safety initiative. That would be done with assistance from the federal Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Center Training Assistance under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Education.

Appealing to the state’s congressional delegation and other federal partners for help in continuing and expanding the federal Title IV grants to districts, and allowing grants to be used to pay for building security features.

Updating and adding to school and district online profiles — including building layouts and locations of doors and windows — for use by emergency responders in the case of problems at schools.

■Notifying the Arkansas Division for Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation about plans for installing temporary barricades meant to prevent intruders from entering a classroom but also have the potential to hinder entry into a space by emergency responders or diminish the fire code rating for doors.

Replacing old-style “crashbars” on school doors going to the outdoors with newer exit devices.

Revising the Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities Manual to provide specific safety and security options for school systems to consider in the design and construction of new academic spaces.

Brad Montgomery, a School Safety Commission member and the director of the state Division for Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, offered the different proposals for the commission’s approval.

His presentation to the commission included photographs of chain-locked or otherwise barred school doors from around the state preventing students and school staff leaving in the event of a fire or other emergency. His division inspectors won’t leave a school where those locks are in place until they are unlocked, he said. That’s followed up by division staff with a call to a local fire marshal.

“It’s not an appropriate method because it blocks egress completely,” Montgomery said, referring to chains and other impediments. “Our division has long wanted a solution to this problem,” he also said and added efforts to improve school security will be able to help with that.

As for the possibility of federal Title IV grants, Montgomery said the money was about to be eliminated until the school shootings happened earlier this year in Parkland, Fla., and Santa Fe, Texas. Arkansas received about $4 million last year, he said, which has been increased to $11 million this year and made available for physical security equipment purchases. He said he’d like to see the funding continue.

Earlier Friday, Arkansas State Police Major Lindsey Williams, the state’s fire marshal, addressed the commission about the dangers of certain barricades and locking devices, some very rudimentary, that can be used to block a dangerous intruder from entry into a school classroom but also prevent emergency responders from getting to an emergency — such as a hostage situation — in a classroom.

There are deadbolt/lever handle door locks in which outside access into a classroom locked from the inside is possible, he said.

The average cost for that kind of lock is about $300 a door, he said.

One of the commission’s recommendations is school systems revise fire alarm response policies to allow school staff a short time to assess the reason for an alarm before directing students to evacuate a classroom.

Commission members said earlier this week that some local fire marshals object to the delay.

Williams said Friday he believes a majority of fire marshals and chiefs would be supportive of the proposal and most concerns could be addressed through dialogue and education.